Is Holly Lane Marzipan Stollen ultra-processed?

750g Cakes Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Dextrose
Emulsifier
Flavouring
Glucose
Humectant
Fructose
and 4 more

28 ingredients
3 additives

Less processed cakes

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

nutrition wheat flour, raisins 24%, palm fat (ultra-processing marker), marzipan 10% (sugar (processing marker), almonds, water, humectant (ultra-processing marker) (sorbitol (ultra-processing marker)), glucose-fructose syrup (ultra-processing marker)), water, glucose-fructose syrup (ultra-processing marker), sugar (processing marker), dextrose (ultra-processing marker), rapeseed oil, orange peel 1.5%, humectant (ultra-processing marker) (sorbitol (ultra-processing marker)), wheat starch (processing marker), lemon peel 1%, emulsifiers (ultra-processing marker) (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (ultra-processing marker)), sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (ultra-processing marker), yeast, flavouring (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), palm fat (ultra-processing marker), typical values energy fat

Additives: E420 Sorbitol , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate

As written on the pack

nutrition wheat flour, raisins (24%), palm fat, marzipan (10%) (sugar, almonds, water, humectant: sorbitol, glucose-fructose syrup), water, glucose-fructose syrup, sugar, dextrose, rapeseed oil, orange peel (1,5%), humectant: sorbitol, wheat starch, lemon peel (1%), emulsifiers: mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, yeast, flavouring, salt, fully hydrogenated palm fat, typical values energy fat

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

E420 Sorbitol Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and to keep products moist.
E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
Humectant Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.

Substances rarely used in home kitchens

Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.

Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.
Palm fat An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.

4 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 377 cakes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 264th. 94% of the cakes here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 377 cakes, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4088600038834, last edited 27 March 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.